


Supernova: The death of a star

by a_very_smol_frog



Series: Aoba Johsai Firehouse AU [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - EMT, Alternate Universe - Firefighters, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Car Accidents, Emotional Hurt, Heavy Angst, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Pain, Temporary Character Death, emphasis on temporary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26658499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_very_smol_frog/pseuds/a_very_smol_frog
Summary: The one light in his sky blinks out of existence.~~~Yamaguchi is in critical condition after a terrible car accident. Tsukishima is the EMT called to save him.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Series: Aoba Johsai Firehouse AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939618
Comments: 19
Kudos: 156





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have no excuse for this.

The instances where they had to work separate shifts were few and far between since they had both been promoted to Squad 1. It really only happened during the holidays, when there was an influx of ice related injuries, and EMTs had to sell their souls to their job until the weather finally began to warm. 

Over the years Tsukishima had become even more jaded about the holidays now that it meant spending most of his time cramped in the ambulance or sitting at the firehouse. Tadashi still loved them though. Their house was decorated in twinkling lights, garlands, and of course there was a Christmas tree in the corner whose branches were bowing under the weight of the hundreds of ornaments Tadashi insisted on buying. 

Right now Tsukishima should be there with him, curled up on the sofa pretending to watch some shitty children’s movie, but instead focusing entirely on Tadashi’s face and how it lit up even though they had seen these movies no less than a thousand times. 

The silver lining about working overtime was the pay. 

This fall had marked six years with Tadashi by his side, and while Tsukishima was fine with the status of their relationship, he could see the way his partner’s eyes lingered on Suga’s new wedding band or Oikawa’s engagement ring. 

Tsukishima didn’t give a damn about most things but for Tadashi he would rip the stars from the heavens if it would make him smile. Therefore, the blonde had patiently studied engagement rings and painstakingly sifted through catalog after catalog until he found one he believed suited Tadashi. 

It was silver, but instead of a traditional solid band it had been molded to look like branches and delicate leaves sprouted from the edges. Over time Tadashi had accumulated an absurd amount of plants, and now their balcony resembled something more like a jungle, an oasis of green in a desert of concrete and asphalt. Due to the cold weather all of the plants had been moved indoors and every inch of once spare space was decorated with thick waxy leaves and long reaching vines. 

Tsukishima didn’t mind. Plants didn’t bark, or poop in a box, or shed on the furniture. One night he had gone to the kitchen to get a drink of water but in the darkness had stumbled and found himself ass first in a cactus. That was the one instance he could remember where he really didn’t care for the invasion, but other than that he was neutral. Plus it made Tadashi happy, therefore Tsukishima wouldn’t complain.

He had had the ring delivered to his brother’s house so that his nosey partner wouldn’t go snooping through the mail and discover it. Tsukishima rarely ordered anything online and a package with his name on it would have immediately aroused suspicion. 

Not one for grandiose romantic gestures, Tsukishima didn’t have some elaborate scheme planned for a proposal, but he did want it to be a special moment that Tadashi could look back on and remember fondly. 

Every year they traversed the country to spend Christmas with both of their families, and for two weeks they barely had any moment to themselves as they penciled in visits and dinners into every spare second of their days. New Years though, that was their time. They were finally able to come home and relax, the universe only consisting of the space between their beating hearts. 

He was going to do it then. Take one of the precious moments he already held so dear and breath a new life into it. The days where he could spend every hour tangled lazily with his partner, not a care in the world, were his favorites. 

It was private. A memory just for the two of them. Tsukishima found himself counting down the days until the New Year; 365 days with his new _fiancée_. 

_“Ambo 113, Vehicle collision near 12 Karasuno Lane. One victim in critical condition.”_

As soon as the speaker crackled over the intercom Tsukishima and Semi were out of their seats and rushing to the truck bay. With flashing lights and a blaring siren they raced down the frosty streets, weaving their way through cars, trying to reach whoever needed them before the cool hand of death led them away. 

What waited for them could only be described as carnage. In the first moments of arriving at a call Tsukishima allowed his mind to click into autopilot. He assessed what lay before him and filled through an endless repertoire of medical knowledge and past experience until he came to the best conclusion. 

Right now he was looking at the mangled remains of a Toyota Prius and tried to parse together a plan to quickly extract the body he could see limp in the driver’s side seat. 

“The ice! I couldn’t stop!” A fat older man waddled up to them, but Tsukishima paid him no mind after he gave him a quick once over and noted no life threatening injuries. 

Finally, the blonde made it to the shattered window and suddenly the floor beneath him slipped away, and his mind fell into a deep billowing black void. The face of the driver was bloody from the impact but Tsukishima would be able to recognize the constellation of freckles spattered over those cheeks anywhere. They were the same ones he had kissed good morning only a few hours ago; the same ones he brushed a gentle thumb over before he said goodbye. 

Tadashi.

Instead of a thought the word came out as a ripped strangled cry. Tsukishima gripped the crumpled metal of the door, ignoring the bite of glass into his bare hands, and heaved with all his strength but still it remained firmly wedged shut. 

“Dispatch we are going to need fire’s assistance. The victim is trapped in the car. He is also in critical condition so tell them to step on it.” Semi spoke into the radio on his shoulder, managing to keep a level head for both him and his partner. He walked over to Tsukishima, wrapping his arms around the blonde and forcing him away from the car.

“What are you doing?! Tadashi is in there! Semi he’s **_dying_ ** _.”_ Tsukishima screamed, he wailed, he cried. Agony pulsed through him with every beat of his heart as he stared at the only person who ever mattered, limp and lifeless in front of him. He kept closing his eyes, hoping that what he saw in front of him would change, and he would look up to see the beige ceiling of their bedroom with Tadashi sleeping soundly next to him. 

“Kei! KEI!” Semi threw Tsukishima into the back of the ambulance, closing the doors firmly behind him and trapping them both inside. 

“LISTEN TO ME!” He bellowed. Tsukishima stopped his howling for a few seconds, but tears still streamed down his cheeks and his chest heaved with sobs. 

“I know this hurts, but you have to get a grip. Tadashi needs you more than ever right now. He can’t wait for another EMT team to get here. You’re the smartest person I know, no one else can help him the way you can. You have to dig deep, push it all aside, and focus on one thing right now, which is saving him.” Even though he was gulping down air through broken breaths, Tsukishima’s brain felt oxygen starved. 

Logically he knew what Semi was saying was the rational thing, but every time he blinked the image of the love of his life bleeding and broken in the car outside seared the back of his eye lids. 

Tadashi was outside. He was outside dying. And where was Kei? Inside the ambulance having a meltdown. His literal job was to provide lifesaving emergency medical treatment and when his partner, other half, _soulmate_ needed him most he cowered. 

Tsukishima allowed a numbness to settle over him, just enough to blunt the edge of the knife so it didn’t rip into his skin with a white hot searing pain.

The anguish didn’t go away. It still beat against his rib cage, threatening to crack the bones and claw its way into the open, leaving a gaping hole where his heart once was. Later it would come back with a righteous fury, descending upon him like a tsunami, but for now he did his best to push it aside. 

“Thank you.” It was mangled and wobbly but he had some semblance of control over the words and that was enough for Semi. 

Together they pushed out of the ambulance and rushed back over to the car. Tsukishima couldn’t stop his hands from trembling as he reached out and gently pushed Tadashi’s hair back from his face, leaning halfway into the car to try and gauge the extent of his injuries. 

“It seems like the majority of the damage is in his chest cavity and face.” Tsukishima was slotting in the beginning parts of an equation that almost always ended in a table from the morgue waiting for them at the hospital instead of a team of nurses. 

He did his best to push those thoughts to the deepest recesses of his mind. 

Tadashi was still breathing shallow puffs and as long as his heart was still beating Tsukishima would never rest. 

Semi handed him a neck brace and as delicately as possible Tsukishima secured it around his lover’s neck. Tadashi’s face had taken on a ghastly white color, the roseiness typically held in the apples of his cheeks fading away as the red stream that dribbled down his temple grew wider. 

Tsukishima applied gauze where he could but not much could be done until Tadashi was freed from his metal coffin. The sounds of sirens approaching were sweeter than any choir of angels.

The large red engine hauled itself up next to them, and Tsukishima recognized the white haired man that stepped out as Aone, the Captain for Date Tech fire house. The beast of a man was known for his iron will and level headedness. It wasn’t Aoba Johsai but Tsukishima felt an ounce of relief wash through him when he saw the familiar face. 

“The victim had potential spinal injuries and internal organ damage. We can't take him through the roof so you guys will need to get the door off.” Semi relayed the information quickly and concisely. 

Aone took one look at the body in the car and his eyes widened with recognition. His gaze then fell to Tsukishima, and the blonde couldn’t have hidden the paralyzing fear in his eyes if he tried. The Captain gave him one sharp nod before turning to his crew, all of them waiting at attention for his orders. 

“Koganegawa grab the power saw. Kamasaki get the jaws. Obara see if you can get in through the other side and hold him steady. He has potential spinal injuries so we do this by the book understand?” 

“Yes, Captain!” 

“And Squad 2 he’s one of our own…” Aone let his sentence trail off, none of them needed him to finish it to understand the weight of the words that hung in the frozen air. The bond forged between them was of ash and smoke, but no blazing inferno could cause it to melt. 

Tsukishima and Semi were directed to the side while the firefighters began their work. Listless amber eyes watched them, never leaving Tadashi’s bleeding body. His fingers itched at his sides. He hated standing here. They should be at a hospital where there was actual medical equipment and a team of doctors and nurses, but instead they were stranded on asphalt with nothing but bandages and a wistful hope that they would reach safety in time. 

Promises filtered through his mind like a prayer and he swore to them like an oath. Never again would he take a single second for granted. Every breath that left his lover’s lips was a godsend and he vowed to devote every last beat of his heart to the man in front of him. 

“Please...please oh god please.” Tsukishima’s lips trembled. His soul was shaking, weeping, yearning for this to all be a terrible nightmare. 

“Can you tell me what happened?” 

“I just looked down at my phone for a second and there was ice! It wasn’t my fault!” 

Tsukishima became an EMT because he wanted to help people. Despite his gruff attitude and icy demeanor he took great pride in his job; every day he went out and literally saved lives. The world around them was fucked up, full of shadows, and in the darkest ones the worst dredges of society festered. He went to sleep every night knowing that in some minuscule way he had made it better. 

The people he saved probably wouldn’t go on to cure cancer or end wars, but everyone had someone whom they made smile, and he made sure that smile was able to hold on just a little longer. 

But in this moment he felt nothing but a cool murderous rage wash over him. If left to his own devices he probably would have killed the man in front of him now, and he wasn’t entirely sure he would have regretted it. 

It was intriguing what love did to a person. How it stretched your limits, twisted your morals, and turned even a black and white situation gray when the one you cherished was caught in the fray. 

“You. Were. Texting.” The man’s eyes snapped up nervously. Both Semi and Futakuchi turned to Tsukishima with questioning glances. The firefighter was standing next to the man responsible for Tadashi’s condition with a tape recorder, trying to gather a statement while the events were still fresh on the mind. 

“Tadashi is dying. He could be bleeding out in that car all because you valued a stupid fucking text message over his life.” Tsukishima took a step forward. It felt like he was floating outside of his body and his rage had taken human form, twisting itself into his image. His limbs moved on their own, his whole being focused on one clear thought that repeated like a mantra in his mind. 

He. Hurt. Tadashi. 

Tsukishima lunged forward. He had no idea what he would have done had his hands made contact with the man. His fingers curled, perfect for wrapping around the pig’s thick neck and squeezing until his bulbous eyes popped out of his fat face. Watching his skin turn from white, to red, to blue. 

But the only thing the man wore on his face was a startled expression as Futakuchi stepped forward and gathered an armful of Tsukishima. 

“Hey! CALM DOWN!” The lieutenant barked. Semi rushed forward and grabbed Tsukishima and dragged him away, back towards the ambulance. 

“IF HE DIES IT IS ON YOUR HANDS! I HOPE YOU NEVER SLEEP AGAIN!” Tsukishima poured every ounce of acid he could into his words. He wanted them to seep into the man’s veins and rush through his circulatory system until they settled in his heart, searing themselves into every beat. If Tadashi died because of this man’s carelessness Tsukishima would make sure that this day never left him, it was difficult to find a moment’s worth of peace when you were sitting in a prison cell. 

“Semi we got him!” Aone called to them from the car. What was left of the door lay in a crumpled heap on the ground. Tsukishima and Semi wasted no time pushing the gurney forward. Their next actions were critical, they had no idea the extent of Tadashi’s injuries and one misstep could be the cause behind his passing. It was difficult to play a game when you didn’t know the rules, but Tsukishima was never one to back down from a challenge, especially when something so precious hung in the balance. 

As delicately as possible they extracted Tadashi’s limp body from the car and placed him onto the gurney. Once he was secured in place it was a race against the clock, the seconds ticking down on a timer that was invisible to them. If only life were like a video game and your health was stored in little red hearts floating above your head for all to see. 

How much of Tadashi’s life force remained inside every weak beat of his pulse?

They loaded Tadashi into the back of the ambulance and there was no question who would be staying with him during their ride to the hospital. Tsukishima’s hands worked in a flurry as he did his best to gather every bit of information possible so that the doctors and nurses at the hospital could start with their feet on the ground running. 

He placed two small electrodes to his partner’s black and blue mottled chest, allowing him to hear every beat of Tadashi’s heart on the small monitor in front of him. Amber eyes were constantly flicking back to the screen, watching for every uptick of continuously moving the white line. 

_Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee_

“No. NO. TADASHI!” Panic consumed him. The steady tone was the hit song from the album of his nightmares. He had never dared to believe he would one day see Tadashi’s name on the cover. 

Muscle memory took over. Two hands planted firmly on Tadashi’s sternum. 

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. 

Pause. Chin back. Nose closed. Breath. Repeat. 

Time existed only in increments of seven seconds. The only three things to exist in the universe were Tsukishima, Tadashi, and the incessant white line that refused to budge. 

Rinse. Repeat. Rinse. Repeat. 

Tsukishima’s actions weren’t only keeping Tadashi’s heart pumping but also his own. He couldn’t think about stopping. About sitting on the bench as Tadashi’s face grew pale and his skin grew cold. The blonde feared that his own soul would shrivel up and wither away as Tadashi’s body started to decay. 

Was there such a thing as living without your sun? Without the gravity that planted your feet on the ground, the air that filled your lungs, the force that pulled your eyes open every morning just so you’d have the opportunity to gaze at it one more time. 

Tsukishima didn’t know if he had the strength to do it. 

Just as his arms began to shake and his breaths became more desperate, the ambulance breaked and the backdoors were heaved open. A swarm of nurses flooded the small space and Tsukishima was cast aside as they frantically began their work. 

Like a lost puppy he followed them, gently sobbing Tadashi’s name. As an EMT, Tsukishima had ventured past the set of dark grey double doors hundreds of times, but now when he went to push past them a hand stopped him. 

He had never been on this side of the glass before. Outside looking in, not knowing, hoping, wishing, praying to gods he didn’t believe in because dammit anything was better than sitting in silence. 

Semi was always the one to talk to the victim’s families. To offer kind words and hopeful encouragement; giving them a tiny light to swim towards during the storm that had descended upon them in a righteous fury, but now he was silent. 

There was no wool to pull over Tsukishima’s eyes. No light to give because Tsukishima had already broken all the bulbs. They knew the harsh reality of the situation and they also knew the only card they had left to play was to wait. 

To sit and cry and stare and hope. Nothing productive. Nothing that meant something to Tadashi now. 

Tsukishima was doing a damned good job of checking the first two off his list. 

He folded in on himself in one of the blue pleather chairs and sobbed. The room around him silent as he wept. He didn’t see any of the pitied glances or strangers who hastily wiped at their eyes. 

No, he didn’t see anything but the image of the love of his life’s limp body being carried away from him. He felt nothing but despair as he screamed at a world already full of darkness for taking away one of the few lights it had left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday Tsukki <3

Semi had had the foresight to contact the rest of Squad 1 and alert them of the situation. It was odd to see them all in the hospital waiting room dressed in civilian’s clothes. Due to the nature of their profession they were not strangers to the emergency room, and had spent one too many hours sitting in the pleather chairs with only dread and each other for company, but typically they were stained with soot and ash when they came in. 

It felt different...almost wrong. Every firefighter had accepted the risks that came with the profession, no one jumped into a burning building and didn’t have that small voice in the back of their head reminding them that they might perish in the flames. It was easier to put your life on the line when an innocent one was at stake.

But the tables had turned. Now they were playing the role of rescued not rescuer. It was almost a cruel joke, ironic that Tadashi could jump into hell time and time again and come back unscathed, but be mortally wounded during a simple car ride; a sobering reminder that no one could cheat death. 

The majority had left with promises to return when Tadashi was out of surgery, and only Kuroo sat with Tsukishima now. The blonde had long gone silent, staring at the floor while he waited. It was maddening, this purgatory of not knowing, just sitting and watching the seconds tick by. Anything, a whisper, a single word, a hand signal, would be better than this washed out gray numbness. His mind raced through every worst and best case scenario, trying to brace itself for disaster, but his body felt heavy like lead. He just wanted to sleep, to scream, to run; he didn’t know anymore. 

Over. He just wanted this to be over. For this god awful day to end so the sun could rise again and time could begin to scrape plaster over the crumbled walls of his heart. 

There were a million things the doctor could say, but each answer could be neatly filed into one of two categories. 

Alive or Dead. 

Tsukishima had never felt so helpless. Typically he was the one that created those answers; elbow deep in the back of the ambulance using every technique and trick in the book to outrun the long shadow of death that clung to them all. 

Part of him wanted to be in there, fighting alongside Tadashi, but a larger part of him knew that he couldn’t, that he wasn’t strong enough. He would never be able to call it, to put his hands down and come to terms with the fact that his lover was gone. They would have to drag him out of the room before he gave up on Tadashi’s spirit, on his heart that was so warm and full of more kindness than should be able to fit inside one human being. 

Why him? Why one of the few actually decent people in this cruel world? Tsukishima was bitter, cold, sarcastic, and abrasive but still he sat, heart steadily pumping, lungs rhythmically breathing. Evil lurked so freely, but Tadashi, Tadashi was a light in the darkness, a flower in the sidewalk, a sweet melody that broke through the silence. 

Society needed more Tadashis. More people who were kind solely because that was all they knew how to be, it was the core of who they were, and malicious intent never even crossed their mind to begin with. Tadashi didn’t pick up litter on the streets because he thought someone would praise him. He didn’t hold open doors because he wanted a prize. He didn’t take the time to make sure that those around him were heard and cared for because he thought somewhere down the line he would gain something from it. 

He did it because the idea of not doing it was never an option in the first place. The words lazy, rude, selfish, and spiteful didn’t exist in Tadashi’s vocabulary. 

Tsukishima was positive that Tadashi had enough good karma stored to last a hundred lifetimes, so why was it that he was currently sequestered in some operating room fighting for his life?

Because karma is bullshit and life is a game of odds and chances. No one could count the cards because there weren’t any, there weren’t even pieces or a board, you just fumbled around in the dark and hoped that with your next step the floor didn’t fall out from underneath you. 

“Tsukishima Kei?” The blonde looked up from the floor and his eyes met the gaze of the woman standing in front of him. She had short blonde hair and was dressed in a dark navy uniform. A police officer. The nameplate on her chest said Tanaka. 

“I am Private Tanaka Saeko. I was called to the accident involving Yamaguchi Tadashi earlier this afternoon. Your coworker Semi-san informed me that you are Yamaguchi-san’s long term partner. When we were cleaning up the accident we found this in the passenger seat of Yamaguchi-san’s car. I...I wanted to deliver it to you personally to assure that you got it.” 

She held up a little black bag and as Tsukishima read the gold label stamped on the front he couldn’t help but hate her. It wasn’t necessarily her as much as it was his combined hatred for all the things that had happened today; she was just the icing on the cupcake full of broken glass and shards of metal. 

When Tsukishima didn’t reach out to grab it from her, Kuroo did instead. She looked uncomfortable. Tadashi would have said thank you, told her how kind it was for her to bring it all this way to make sure he got it. 

Tsukishima was not Tadashi. 

“Well I hope you receive some good news soon. I will get going now.” She gave them both a small nod before turning her back and leaving. 

She’d probably sit in her car and tell herself how thankful she was that their roles weren’t reversed. She’d maybe send a text telling her loved ones to be careful, and tonight when she got home she would take a few moments to appreciate that she wasn’t stuck in a hospital, waiting to hear if her lover was dead after getting into a car accident on his way back from buying an engagement ring. 

Tsukishima took the bag from Kuroo. He felt sick. 

There were a number of plausible reasons why Tadashi could have gone to the jewelry store. It was almost Christmas and Tadashi’s mother loved to wear dangly earrings that sparkled with a rainbow of colors. They had talked about potentially getting Akiteru cufflinks since he had just been promoted to branch manager at his job. Maybe Tadashi had just decided to treat himself with something gold and sparkly. 

All of these were rational answers to why Tadashi could have gone to the jewelry store, but Tsukishima knew they were all wrong. 

The box inside the bag was small, designed to fit perfectly into the palm of a hand, and was covered in dark red velvet. Kuroo said nothing but Tsukishima could feel his gaze; he was waiting for the pot to boil over, for everything bubbling inside Tsukishima to come pouring out because of a goddamned ring.

Kuroo had always had good instincts, an innate ability to read a situation before the pieces fell into place. It's what made him a good firefighter. It’s what made him a good friend. 

Tsukishima flipped open the box. Immediately he felt it, bitter and scalding in the back of his throat. 

The ring was simple. It was a black band with little flecks of gold that you could only see in just the right light. Tadashi always said that he put up an icy wall between himself and others, but once you were able to scale it, what was waiting for you on the other side was golden promises. 

Tsukishima took it out of the box and his eyes caught something inscribed on the inside of the band. 

_ A willing heart _

Time stood still. Tsukishima stared at the words on the ring. He wasn’t sure if he was breathing, if his heart was still beating, if he even existed on the mortal plane anymore. 

“Loyalty, honor, and a willing heart. I can ask no more than that”

When Thorin Oakenshield said those words he was referring to the small ragtag group of dwarves who had dedicated themselves to the olympic task of taking back their home. Throughout their treacherous journey tears were shed, blood was drawn, and lives were lost but with their unwavering spirit, trust in each other, and intense love for a place some of them had only ever heard about in stories, they eventually defeated Smaug and took back what was rightfully theirs. 

It was the movie they had watched on their first date. Over time it had become a comfort film for them both. Quotes became a common occurrence, and they almost had their own language revolving around inside jokes and lines from the movies. Every year on their anniversary they sat down and had a marathon. 

This year they hooked Tsukishima’s laptop up to a projector and watched them on the wall, cuddled together on the mattress that was laying on the floor because they had been too lazy to finish unpacking the rest of their belongings into the new house they had just bought together. 

Tsukishima didn’t even feel the sobs wracking his body until Kuroo’s arms wrapped around him in a vice grip, causing his shoulders to stop shaking. The blonde curled in on his friend, grasping onto him like a drowning man clung to a life preserver. He was sinking, slipping below the surface and no matter how hard he kicked it the light faded further and further away. 

God this hurt. Nothing made sense anymore. Tsukishima didn’t know up from down or left from right, but what he did know was that his heart felt bruised, his eyes stung, and his body ached from this never ending nightmare. 

“Please  _ please _ just give him back to me.” Tsukishima spoke the words without any real idea of who they were directed towards. The universe. The doctors. Any benevolent god in the heavens. He just needed to ask in the hopes that something would listen and take pity on a broken man whose whole universe consisted of freckled cheeks, messy buns, and kisses so full of love he felt like he might burst. 

Tsukishima was nothing without Tadashi. 

Kuroo held him tight, like he believed he would be able to hold together all the crumbling bits of Tsukishima’s heart and soul if he clutched him close and never let go. 

“Yamaguchi Tadashi.” 

To some that name meant nothing, but to Tsukishima it was more sacred than any prayer or promise. 

The blonde shot out of his chair, racing over to the doctor with a frenzied expression on his face. 

This was it. Her words signed his fate. Had some higher being floating throughout the universe heard his pained cries and taken pity on him, or had the only star that lit up his black skies been snuffed out?

“Yamaguchi-san is out of surgery. We managed to treat his most critical injuries but he has broken numerous bones and won’t be able to walk or work for quite some time. But he is alive and will make a full recovery.” 

Kuroo caught him before he fell. 

Together they embraced, two blubbering messes standing in the middle of the waiting room causing a scene, but they couldn’t care less. 

For the first time since this nightmare began the world finally tilted rightside up on its axis. Tsukishima felt the ground steady underneath his feet, and the air that filled his lungs felt fresh again. 

“If you’d like to follow me I can take you up to his room.” Tsukishima couldn’t find the words to express how desperately he wanted to see Tadashi, so he just nodded his head and followed her deeper into the building with Kuroo trailing closely behind. 

Even though he felt relieved to see Tadashi again, it was still jarring to see someone who at all times is so vibrant and full of life, silent and unmoving in bed. An oxygen mask was placed over his face and a plethora of cords snaked around his body. Almost every limb was in a stark white cast, the only one where golden tanned skin was still visible was his right arm, and even then stitches zigzagged into his flesh. 

He was broken, and the road to recovery would be one paved in gravel and glass, but he was alive, and to Tsukishima that was worth everything. 

“The anesthesia should wear off in about an hour, but he is on a potent cocktail of pain medication so I wouldn’t expect much conversation. I’ll have a nurse bring in a cot and blankets for you.” Tsukishima was glad she understood that there was not a chance in hell they would be dragging him out of this room tonight. 

“I am on rotation for the rest of the evening so if you have any questions or his condition changes at all please call for Dr. Yachi.” She moved to exit the room but paused, thought for a moment, and then turned back to them. 

“I’ve met him before...Yamaguchi. There was a woman a year ago he pulled out of a fire and he came by every day to check up on her condition. She was homeless so no one else ever showed...but he never failed to. He had no idea who she was, her story, we didn’t even know her name, but he would come in every Wednesday afternoon and sit with her for an hour. Sometimes he would read to her or describe the garden outside her window, but he always came. Yamaguchi is… he is good and deserves another chance at life.” 

Tsukishima remembered the homeless woman. Every Wednesday afternoon his partner would bid him farewell and take the 40 minute train ride from their old apartment to the hospital. Her condition never improved and eventually she passed. Now every Wednesday Tadashi takes a 15 minute walk from their house to her grave where he brushes away the dirt, lights an incense, and places a single lily in front of the blank nameplate. 

“Thank you for saving him.” Dr. Yachi gave Tsukishima a soft smile.

“It was an honor.” She turned and left then with a promise to be close by until Tadashi had made a full recovery. 

\---

A nurse had brought in a cot and bedding as promised. After forcing Tsukishima to eat a pitiful interpretation of pad thai from the cafeteria and making him promise to call if anything changed, Kuroo went home, leaving Tsukishima alone with Tadashi. 

The blonde sat on the right side of the bed, fingers laced with Tadashi’s limp ones. His hand was warm, and Tsukishima never thought he would be so grateful for clammy hands. 

The new weight of the ring against his finger was constantly on the forefront of his mind. Every time he shifted or flexed his hand he noticed it, the black band against his pale skin always catching his eye. It would be a while yet before Tadashi would be able to wear his. Maybe Tsukishima could put it on a chain so he could wear it around his neck. 

He felt the fingers in his hand twitch. 

Tsukishima glanced up just in time to see a freckled nose scrunch up under the oxygen mask, and eventually Tadashi’s eyelids fluttered open to reveal two hazy and confused mocha brown eyes. 

They took in the harsh white walls and sterile interior of the room before flicking over and landing on Tsukishima. He felt his heart catch in his throat when they widened in recognition. 

“Tsukki?” The voice was rough and mangled but it was undeniably the voice of Yamaguchi Tadashi. Tsukishima had to take a few moments to gather his own, the sweet relief of hearing his partner’s voice again overwhelmed him. He squeezed the fingers in his hand a little tighter and felt pure and unfiltered joy when they squeezed back. 

“Yea it's me.” Tadashi tried to move but Tsukishima pressed a soft hand to his chest to keep him still. 

“You were in a car accident Tadashi. We are at the hospital right now. You need to stay still okay? Does anything hurt?” A startled expression washed over Tadashi’s face, and frantically his eyes moved down his body to see the numerous casts and bandages that covered him. A garbled whine left his lips and Tsukishima would give anything in the moment to take this all away, sweep Tadashi out of this hospital and tuck him into bed at home, safe and sound where he belonged. 

“I-How long? Where? What?” Tsukishima could the tempo of the heart monitor pick up, and he knew he had to act quickly to calm Tadashi down. 

“Everything is fine. I know it is a lot right now but you’re going to be okay. I’ll be right here the whole time baby.” Tsukishima brought Tadashi’s hand up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to each knuckle. 

“I won’t leave your side.” He knew it was going to be rough. You didn’t just walk out of a life threatening car crash while sustaining critical injuries. For a long time it was going to be an uphill battle, but Tsukishima didn’t care if he had to carry Tadashi, they would make it to the other side together. 

“Oh.” Tadashi sounded surprised and Tsukishima followed his gaze to see that it was focused on his left hand where the ring sat snug on his finger. 

“You found it….I-I had a whole thing planned...for New Years...it was going to be perfect.” Tadashi’s voice grew thick and his eyes welled with tears. Tsukishima reached out and tried to wipe them away as best as he could with the oxygen mask in the way. He cupped Tadashi’s swollen and bruised face in his hands; even in this state Tadashi was the most beautiful person Tsukishima had ever laid eyes on. 

Holding back his own tears he clicked his tongue. 

“Dumbass. Everyday with you is perfect.” 

It was okay. Everything was going to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys reaalllllly think I would be able to kill of Yams? Actually his fate was left to a coin toss so you all got lucky this time. 
> 
> I will eventually be doing something like this for the rest of the couples in Rescue Romance so make sure you bookmark the series!
> 
> Thank you for reading <3

**Author's Note:**

> I will finish this tomorrow but I couldn't resist that delicious cliff hanger.


End file.
